A groundbreaking study has revealed intriguing connections between genetic predispositions to mental health conditions and career choices. Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai analysed data from over 400,000 workers in the United States and the United Kingdom, finding that psychological traits such as ADHD, autism, depression, schizophrenia, and anxiety can subtly influence occupational paths.
While the study acknowledged that these traits might guide career preferences, the researchers cautioned that the effect was limited, accounting for just 0.4% of the factors influencing career decisions. Age, sex, and environmental factors played a far more significant role in determining career outcomes.
The research, published in Nature Human Behaviour, examined 20 professional fields and identified clear patterns. Artists and designers were found to have the strongest predisposition to a range of mental health conditions, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, autism, depression, and anorexia.
STEM professionals (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) were most likely to have traits associated with autism, while schizophrenia showed the highest correlation among community and social workers. Teachers and educators had the strongest link to anorexia nervosa.
Conversely, professions such as architecture and engineering, healthcare, farming, business and finance, office administration, management, and sales were found to be the least associated with mental health predispositions, suggesting greater occupational stability.
The study highlighted a significant finding regarding ADHD, noting that jobs linked to the condition often required lower levels of formal education. This, researchers suggested, reflects systemic biases within the education system that could disproportionately affect individuals with a genetic predisposition to ADHD.
“For example, we found that some ADHD-related associations are significantly mediated by educational attainment—a key driver of career pathways,” said Georgios Voloudakis, the study’s lead author, in an interview with Medical Xpress. “This implies that systemic biases in education can disproportionately affect individuals with a higher genetic predisposition for ADHD, even if they never receive an actual diagnosis.”
The researchers aimed to challenge the stigma surrounding neuropsychiatric disorders, which are both common and highly heritable. They explored not only the disadvantages associated with these traits but also potential benefits.
“We were inspired to examine whether certain genetic variants that increase the risk of developing these disorders might also offer potential advantages in specific fields,” Voloudakis said.
Despite the statistical significance of the findings, the researchers emphasised that genetic markers alone cannot predict an individual’s career.
“These findings don’t mean we can predict someone’s job based on their genetics,” Voloudakis explained. “Rather, they highlight subtle group-level trends. Environmental, social, and personal factors continue to play a much larger role in shaping individual outcomes than any single genetic measure.”
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